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Fractional COOs in Boston Making Things Happen in 2025
Boston Interim Chief Operating Officers to Know
Boston has long been a city of builders—of ideas, of institutions, and of businesses. As the home of world-class universities, global healthcare organizations, deep tech innovation, and a thriving startup ecosystem, Boston demands operational excellence at every turn. But today, as companies grow leaner, more agile, and more mission-aligned, many are finding that they don’t need a full-time COO—they need a fractional one.
Fractional COOs offer strategic, executive-level operations leadership on a flexible basis. Whether part-time, project-based, or interim, these professionals guide teams through growth, complexity, and scale. They are often the bridge between vision and execution—helping founders sleep at night and teams move forward with confidence.
At Digital Reference, our mission is to surface, verify, and showcase the professionals quietly building the future of work. That includes the growing class of fractional leaders who operate behind the scenes but have outsized impact. This guide introduces a curated list of Boston-based fractional COOs making things happen.
Our Methodology
We selected these professionals through a blend of public research, platform insights, and peer referrals. Each executive featured here:
- Actively works in a fractional, part-time, or interim COO capacity
- Is based in or serving the Boston metro area, including Cambridge and surrounding cities
- Has a visible track record of leadership in operations, growth, or team building
- Aligns with Digital Reference’s focus on radical transparency, reputation-first discovery, and human-centric work
These are solo operators, strategic advisors, and former tech execs turned fractional leaders. Each one brings unique value—and serious operational muscle.
Meet the Fractional COOs Powering Boston
Craig Coldstream
https://craigcoldstreamcoo.com/
With more than 20 years of executive experience, Craig Coldstream offers fractional COO services to startups and scaling companies through his own consultancy. Based in Boston, Craig specializes in building operational infrastructure that allows founders to grow with confidence.
Why He Stands Out:
- Deep experience across tech, e-commerce, and growth-stage ventures
- Offers hands-on operations support, team leadership, and strategic planning
- Focuses on helping CEOs get out of the weeds and focus on what matters most
Craig brings calm to chaos, building systems that scale and teams that thrive. He’s a favorite among Series A and Series B companies looking to move fast—but with structure.
Micah Rowland
https://www.linkedin.com/in/micahrowland/
Micah Rowland is a tech industry veteran who brings strategic and executional leadership to early- and mid-stage companies. Formerly a full-time COO and advisor, he now offers fractional support to founders navigating inflection points in growth and operations.
Why He Stands Out:
- Proven experience leading tech-enabled businesses through scale and transformation
- Combines operational strategy, financial acumen, and go-to-market experience
- Known for coaching and empowering cross-functional leaders
Micah is ideal for SaaS companies or digital businesses looking for an operator who can work across teams and tie strategy to metrics.
Erik Bullen
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikbullen/
Entrepreneur, executive, and startup mentor, Erik Bullen provides fractional COO services with a startup founder’s mindset. He’s helped companies across Boston’s innovation corridor scale, pivot, and professionalize their operations.
Why He Stands Out:
- Combines startup experience with executive leadership and advisory skills
- Works across B2B SaaS, healthtech, and mission-led organizations
- Highly active in Boston’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem
Erik brings energy, clarity, and insight to companies who need a COO with real empathy for the founder journey.
Kate Roberts
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateroberts1/
Kate Roberts is a Boston-based nonprofit and social impact leader turned fractional executive. With decades of experience in team building, global program management, and strategic scaling, she offers fractional COO services for organizations looking to grow with purpose and impact.
Why She Stands Out:
- Deep background in nonprofit operations, fundraising strategy, and stakeholder engagement
- Offers a blend of visionary leadership and systems implementation
- Passionate about empowering women-led and global development organizations
Kate is a strong partner for purpose-driven orgs ready to take the next step in scaling their mission, systems, and people.
Why Boston Companies Are Turning to Fractional COOs
In a city known for innovation, education, and health, Boston companies must navigate growth while maintaining purpose. But not every company is ready—or able—to invest in a full-time COO. That’s why the fractional model is gaining momentum.
Benefits of hiring a fractional COO:
- Cost-efficient executive leadership without the long-term commitment
- Flexibility to scale operations based on milestones, not payroll
- Access to seasoned professionals who’ve seen it before and know what works
- Increased founder focus on product, fundraising, and growth
Fractional COOs are becoming the preferred solution for early-stage and scaling teams that need executive support, operational rigor, and a partner who can execute. Ready to get matched with the right operational leader? Guides like this are part of our broader mission: to make the talent ecosystem more transparent, more human, and more efficient. A few more guides worth looking into:
- Best Platforms to Hire Fractional COOs
- Full Directory of Local Fractional COO Listings
- Best Communities for Operations Professionals
What Makes a Great Fractional COO?
The best fractional COOs bring more than just experience. They bring clarity, trust, and structure.
They typically:
- Move fluidly between strategy and day-to-day execution
- Build repeatable systems that others can own
- Coach internal teams while implementing change
- Create visibility through dashboards, KPIs, and operating cadences
- Operate with low ego and high accountability
In short, they build what matters, document what works, and prepare teams to operate without them.
The Digital Reference POV
At Digital Reference, we believe fractional leaders deserve more than a line on someone else’s resume. They deserve:
- A place to showcase verified, structured impact
- Tools to collect and present client feedback and references
- A reputation-first platform to help them get discovered—not just found
Our platform helps operators build portable credibility, whether they work with one client or ten. And for hiring teams, we make it easier to find the right kind of leader—authentic, experienced, and trusted.
Final Thoughts
The Boston-area fractional COOs on this list are more than interim help. They are builders, mentors, and strategic partners.
They represent a new kind of leadership: one that’s modular, mission-aligned, and deeply impactful. Whether you're running a biotech company in Kendall Square, a nonprofit in Back Bay, or a software startup in Somerville—there’s a fractional COO ready to help you scale with intention.
Check Out Our Local Directories of Fractional & Part-Time COOs by City
Ann Arbor, MI - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Ann Arbor startups and research-driven firms are turning to fractional ops leaders for precision execution and growth strategy.
Atlanta, GA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
In a city that blends enterprise and startup energy, Atlanta companies lean on COOs who can unify vision and operations.
Chicago, IL - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
COOs in the Windy City are helping companies align their back-end systems with bold front-end goals.
Denver, CO - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Denver’s scale-ups are calling in fractional execs to professionalize their operations without slowing their culture.
Detroit, MI - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
With roots in manufacturing and momentum in mobility, Detroit companies rely on fractional COOs for systems that scale.
Houston, Texas - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Houston’s operational ecosystem is evolving fast. More startups are scaling. More nonprofits are serving complex needs.
London, United Kingdom - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Fractional COO Services are sky-rocketing in popularity in London as labor costs go up and time to market is accelerating.
Los Angeles, CA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
In LA, creative industries meet tech—and fractional COOs bring the operational clarity these hybrid teams need.
New York City, NY - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
NYC’s pace demands results. These operators know how to navigate fast-moving startups and scaling giants alike.
Philadelphia, PA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Fractional COO Services in Philly are ensuring East Coast startups and high growth companies have the right structure to survive.
Phoenix, AZ - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Phoenix-based COOs help founders transition from hustle to structured scale with systems that grow.
San Francisco, CA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Bay Area COOs are stepping in to help tech companies streamline, automate, and stabilize post-funding growth.
Seattle, WA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
In Seattle’s product-driven landscape, ops leaders drive alignment between engineering, GTM, and finance.
Sydney, Australia - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Home to Canva, growing base of purpose-led enterprises, and increasing demand for agile executive leadership, Sydney has become a hotbed for operational talent that doesn’t require a full-time seat.
Toronto, Canada - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Toronto doesn’t just build startups—it builds systems. It’s a city where public meets private, where the startup ecosystem is growing alongside government programs, universities, and a rising impact economy. But for all its innovation, hiring executive talent in Toronto has always come with nuance.
Washington, DC (DMV Area) - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
DC-area operators bring rigor and regulatory awareness—perfect for mission-driven orgs and gov-adjacent teams.
Explore their work. Reach out. And when you're ready to document your own leadership journey or hire the next phase of your ops partner—start with Digital Reference.
– The Digital Reference Team
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